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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25697248">all that i am, all that i ever was</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/VJR22_6/pseuds/VJR22_6'>VJR22_6</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, they’re in love yall, written for the dt ship month prompt ‘patrol’</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:55:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>929</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25697248</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/VJR22_6/pseuds/VJR22_6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>St Canard is quiet and crimeless, and Drake muses on his emotions while watching passing cars with Launchpad.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Drake Mallard/Launchpad McQuack</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>90</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>all that i am, all that i ever was</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi guys! Short piece today, but I found the dtshipmonth prompts on Twitter last night and I wanted to make a little something for the first prompt, “patrol.”</p><p>This one is kind of based on Frank’s ask answer that said there’s not much crime in St. Canard currently, and on the song “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol.</p><p>Please leave a comment if you enjoy this!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“There’s not a crime in this city,” Drake whispers. And he’s right, there hasn’t been much more than the occasional robbery or break-in, and the cops always handle the little things before he gets to the scene, usually. “It’s like all of St. Canard’s villains skipped right over the city and went to Duckberg instead.”</p><p>“Lucky they’ve got Gizmoduck, I guess,” Launchpad replies, considerably louder than Drake. He’s crunching on a bag of pretzels, and Drake rolls his eyes. Their stealthy-stakeout type mission of the night isn’t getting them anywhere but he’s exasperated anyway.</p><p>“Yeah, sure,” he scoffs. “Lucky to have that egg-shaped egomaniac. And I’m lucky to be spending the night without a crime to solve while you eat. Again.”</p><p>“If you want some you can always ask,” LP replies brightly, like he always does, and he sets the bag between them. “But, heh, I think maybe you might be thinking of <i>your</i> ego, Deedubya.”</p><p>Drake huffs, staring off to the side. “I’m above spending time on petty personal imagery. I have a city to focus on protecting.”</p><p>“Sure ya do! I’m sure something will come along soon!”</p><p>“Uh huh.”</p><p>The car they’re holed up in is in a quiet spot. They’re watching a busy intersection, radio tuned to a police scanner that’s far too quiet too. He’s not sure why the world is standing so still, but he’s all but hoping for crimes to be committed at this point. Just to not be squished in the passenger seat of a car thinking about doing anything but this.</p><p>Drake quietly reaches for the snacks without looking, still pouting. Man, being a hero stinks. He hasn’t had a single criminal to catch since the alien invasion, and when he had Moonlanders to apprehend, he blew his shot. Got beat and bruised instead, and laughed at by the rest of the hero gang.</p><p>He watches the street in front of them. There’s hardly a car going by, and their police radio has been nearly silent. St. Canard is asleep, and he feels like he’s wasting his time here. Feels like being a hero is just a waste.</p><p>He reaches for more pretzels, and his hand brushes Launchpad’s. He shies away quickly, but looks over at his partner, who’s sporting a deep blush. Did he… mean to do that?</p><p>Drake doesn’t know what to do with himself, his heart racing a mile a minute. He folds his arms over his chest, leaning back into the seat a little. There’s an unspoken thing growing between them here, no more than a bud, but green and new all the same. Half of his heart wants to nip it in that bud here, and move on, but the other half is aching for the next chapter of this slow story.</p><p>They sit there for another few minutes of killer silence, and Drake’s heartbeat slows. They’ll be fine, it was just a little touch. Nothing big, just a little scene in a movie where their eyes meet and both look away, faces burning, awkwardly stumbling through their feelings. It’s just… Drake isn’t sure what to do with this partially professional partnership. Is he really willing to risk the only kindred spirit he’s ever found if he’s wrong in thinking this longing is mutual?</p><p>He ultimately decides, watching cars pass them on the street, that Launchpad’s love-filled heart is worth at least trying to pursue.</p><p>“Hey, LP, it’s getting kind of late, and, uh,” Drake stumbles right out of the gate. He immediately regrets starting in on this, but it’s too late to back out. Ugh, why is talking so hard?</p><p>“Oh, well, uh, I guess I could start driving home then.” His disappointment is palpable. “No use in sitting out here doing nothing, huh?”</p><p>“Well, no, I—er, well, yeah, but—-I mean, um, do you want to—or, what I’m trying to ask is—ugh.” Why is it so hard to talk to pretty guys? Drake’s going to die alone, he’s sure of it. He coughs and starts over. “I wanted to ask if maybe—er, do you maybe want to go back to my place with me? We could hang out or something.”</p><p>“I’d love to!” LP chirps brightly. “I have some extra cash, we could order some food for delivery.”</p><p>Oh, thank goodness.</p><p>“You never stop eating, do you?” Drake jokes, pretending he never stuttered at all. “But, uh, yeah. That sounds nice. I have all the Darkwing tapes if you wanted to maybe watch some with me?”</p><p>“That would be nice,” LP agrees, grinning at Drake. He smiles back, shaky with nerves, and Launchpad starts up the car. “I like hanging out with you, Drake. It’s like someone finally understands what’s happening in my head.”</p><p>“You know what, LP? Me too,” he replies, and he means it. Launchpad can see past his careful exterior to the emotions he’s got underneath, and he can make sense of them in a way Drake really can’t verbalize. He can take the mess of fears and sadnesses and guide DW back to feeling like a hero again, without even trying, just because he’s Launchpad.</p><p>And Drake realizes then, as they start down the road together, that this yearning for love is just another emotion LP is going to effortlessly “get,” same as all the rest. Tonight is no date, really, no romance involved, and he’s nervous about that for what it is. But he knows that when he’s ready Launchpad will be there to help him make sense of what he can’t on his own.</p>
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